'White van man' no longer rogue of the road

‘White Van Man’ does not deserve his reputation as the ‘rogue of the road’ according to a poll conducted for Tesco Van Insurance.

One in four British drivers quizzed believe that taxi drivers are actually Britain’s worst road users. The motorists surveyed think taxi drivers are more likely to honk their horn or commit a minor motoring offence than van drivers are.

Indeed Tesco’s own records show van drivers are statistically amongst the best on the road, making fewer and smaller claims than their car driving counterparts. And although traditionally criticised for their driving ability, the research reveals that more than one in five van drivers has been on an advanced driving course, or had further driver training.

Allan Burns of Tesco Van Insurance, comments: "Van drivers are often stereotyped as rogues of the road however, our own records show that van drivers are actually very safe drivers, and in our eyes they deserve a good insurance rate."

The research also revealed that Van drivers could actually be crowned the ‘unseen road rescue service’ with many road users having benefited from their assistance.

Over half (51.1%) of the van drivers surveyed admitting to stopping at the roadside to help a stranger.

Nearly 14% of van drivers have stopped to help give directions to lost motorists.

One in twelve van drivers has helped another motorist who has broken down.

Burns comments: "Van drivers are obviously doing a great deal to change the opinion that their driving is second rate. But, more surprisingly, the research actually reveals that they are more like ‘knights on white chargers’ than ‘white van man’ when it comes to helping fellow motorists."

Despite their current unenviable reputation, over a quarter of males surveyed admit that they would like to be a White Van Man, with nearly 26% confessing that they would like to drive a van.

This is not surprising when you look at the luxuries with which modern vans are now equipped. Tesco Van Insurance found that many vans could rival luxury cars in the equipment stakes, with leather seats, air-conditioning and even MP3 players.

Top 5 Luxuries/GadgetsCD Player (32.4%)
Hands free kit (29.5%)
Air Conditioning (15.1%)
Leather seats (5%)
MP3 Player (4.3%)Burns concludes: "Vans are an essential part of our economy. We believe the findings of this research supports our view that van drivers are among the best on the road, which is why we can offer them great rates on their insurance".